Peru's Jesus miracle awaits pope blessing

Every year, many believers make a pilgrimage to the small town of Eten in western Peru to celebrate a 17th-century miracle featuring images of the baby Jesus, a sacred phenomenon that has not yet been recognized by the Vatican. But there's hope that Pope Leo XIV could make it official.

On June 2, 1649, during a Eucharistic celebration in which bread and wine are believed to transform into the body and blood of Christ, an image of the infant Jesus and three small hearts is said to have appeared to a dozen believers. A few weeks later, it was reported that the apparition had occurred a second time. These events triggered a deep-rooted local devotion that continues to this day.

The recent election of Pope Leo XIV, who spent years as a missionary in Peru, has rekindled hopes for official recognition of the holy phenomenon and for the establishment of a dignified memorial that does justice to the unique Eucharistic miracle.

Robert Prevost, who last week became the first US-born pontiff, spent more than two decades in various roles and activities in Peru. From 2015 to 2023, he was the bishop of the diocese of Chiclayo, a city on the northern coast of Peru, around 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Eten.

"With this pope who lived here in Chiclayo, and who knows the subject well, they'll soon recognize us as a Eucharistic city," said Catalino Puican optimistically, speaking with AFP. In the main room of his house, a wall serves as an altar — as in many houses in the city of 14,000 people. Statuettes of the Virgin Mary, rosaries and portraits of the deceased bear witness to his religious passion.

"The Eucharistic miracle is a gift for all Peru," Prevost stated in 2022. "Building this new shrine is a task for all of us. It's a dream we want to make come true." Locals hope that the recognition of the miracle will attract more believers and also boost tourism. Until now, the shrine has been on display to pilgrims in the chapel of the historic town, whose ruins dominate the site.

This statue depicting the appearance of the infant Jesus stands in the simple Santa Maria Magdalena church. Christ wears a traditional headdress and is surrounded by rays reminiscent of the sun, a revered deity of the once-flourishing Moche civilization on Peru's northern coast.

Photos and wishes from the faithful hang on the wall of the chapel dedicated to the Divino Nino del Milagro. Pope Leo "will contribute significantly" to the official recognition of the miracle, said 72-year-old Blanca Chancafe, a retired teacher. "We expect a lot from him."